Monster Nephew
by Blackmoondragon1415
Summary: A prequel to the Hanna Barbera Godzilla series. R&R, please!
1. Chapter 1: First Encounters

Disclaimer: I don't own Godzilla in any way, shape, or form.

Now, before we get started, I just want to say that I enjoyed the idea behind the Hanna Barbera Godzilla cartoon, as well as a majority of the episodes. However, I always wondered how in the world that little arrangement happened. So, this is my way of explaining it. If you don't like it, or prefer another idea, then you can write it.

And with that in mind, enjoy the story.

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><p>Chapter 1: First Encounters<p>

Usually, Godzilla only came up to the wilds of the island whose waters he called home when he got the feeling something important was brewing. There was always some trigger to his attention, a peculiar feel in the air, an explosion of some sort…

This one started with a smell. Granted, it had rained heavily over the past week, and just about everything reeked of moisture and mud, but this scent stood out more so than the others.

It was an odd, decaying stench, the kind that could usually be found when something died, recently. And not far from the ocean, too. His wary curiosity piqued, the kaiju followed his nose to a spot further into the island, a tall cliff that looked like it had been diminished slightly during the storm. The reason was clear enough from the huge amount of mud and rock that littered the surrounding area. Giving the place a cursory look, Godzilla spotted the clawed hand of some other creature stuck under a large stone. He didn't have to move the other debris to know he would find a body.

This clearly wasn't his business and there was nothing more to be done here. Turning away, the Kaiju King was about to head back to the ocean when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. A small, light-green something. His head turned, catching a better glimpse of the thing before it darted into a space between the rocks. It was a diminutive kaiju, hardly bigger than his hand. Crouching, Godzilla angled his head down to see into the hidey-hole, and immediately received a set of smoke rings in the eye for his trouble. Straightening up with an irritated roar, he pawed at his eye to get rid of the irritation.

If it were another monster, he would have been slightly impressed by the little guy's backbone. However, given that the smoke stung like no tomorrow, Godzilla was less-than pleased by the attempt. Reaching in, he grabbed firmly a hold of a small, squirming mass that went rigid with fright when it was drawn out to lay eyes on his snarling face. It was only then that he got a good look at the relatively small creature.

It had to be-no, was-a child, and fairly young at that. The quivering arms sported a set of wings and the head and back were adorned with a darker green crest, similar to his. The aftermentioned arms were also over the head in a protective gesture, a futile attempt to stave off injury.

It suddenly struck Godzilla that the dead monster under the rubble might very well be the child's parent. Probably was. The kid had also been going for awhile without any real food [he was probably still at the age where his parent provided for him, not quite learning just yet], deducted from the fact that there was barely any meat on his bones.

The child was also bewildered out of his mind when, instead of biting his head off like he was liable to do, the giant monster put him back on the ground, then turned and left, knocking down trees and flattening brush in his wake.

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><p>The small creature did not left the site at which his parent died, where the rains from the previous week had loosened up a cliff-face enough to cause a mudslide. He had managed to get out of the way of the more deadly part of the flow, his parent…had not.<p>

Truthfully, he had no idea of where to go. There were no others like him, and any others treated him the way bigger and larger animals tended to treat the smaller and weaker, like him, as lunch. As a result, he had gotten very good at running and hiding.

Until that other creature had shown up today, the large one that resembled him to a degree. It had been the first time he had tried to fight back, and while he had almost gotten eaten for his trouble, there was the odd moment during which the other creature had simply stared at him. That was new.

But what simply boggled the child's mind was the fact that he and the bigger kaiju were similar. Identical head crest, they walked a similar way, and the two looked somewhat alike.

Even though it didn't outright occur to the child right away, it was probably why it had not mauled him, as he was certain he would do.

The sudden onslaught of rain cut off the child kaiju's thoughts with a screech. He suddenly found himself soaking wet, and struggling to get out of the rain. However, his sanctuary under a large tree proved ineffective when one of the leaves let loose a torrent of water on his head. Whining and yelping, he tried the small gap that he had hid in to escape the large creature. Finding it mostly dry, the child furtively huddled as far back as he could go, trying very hard to control the shivering that had taken hold when he was drenched.

He missed his parent…

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><p>It had rained again. Apparently the wet season was not totally over for the year. Still, it hardly mattered to Godzilla, who lived beneath the sea. Rain was water, which pretty much made up the whole of his home. He had no qualms about extra water.<p>

Venturing slightly outside of his usual hunting grounds, the Kaiju King barely paid his surroundings much heed, his wake churning up the water around a boat that was floating in the ocean barely a hundred miles from his island.

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><p>Meanwhile, on the ship, a certain brunette scientist was busy running some experiments on the algae she had found in the water from the nearby island. Concentrating heavily on the solution she was about to introduce to her sample, she moved a small, plastic pipette down to the slide under her microscope. Suddenly, the ship rocked violently, almost sending her out of her chair. Miraculously, none of her sample, nor the solution were spilled in the upset. Just as she was steadying herself, a voice called down the stairs.<p>

"Sorry about that, Doctor Darien. Something just went under us."

She couldn't help the curiosity, though mingled with irritation. Something swam under them, big enough to move the boat itself in its wake? Didn't sound like an ordinary ocean-going animal.

"Is it still there?"

"Nope. Long gone by now."

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><p>Alright, I believe you all know what to do. Review, please! Flames will be handed over to Godzilla without a hearing.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Caught

Disclaimer: Same as the first. Besides, if I owned this, there would have been a pilot episode present in the lineup.

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><p>Chapter 2: Caught<p>

It was still wet and musty in the shelter when the child woke up that morning. Wrinkling his nose against the overpowering smell, he crawled to the front, peeking out as he entered the early morning mist that blanketed the ground outside. It seemed perfectly safe. Maybe he would try to go get food today. His stomach hadn't let him forget that he would need something soon, all night long.

Walking carefully out into the clearing, he gave the woods a wary glare before squaring his shoulders and marching boldly onward.

It might have just been instinct, but his travels brought him out to the lagoon that opened out into the sea. Stepping warily into the shallows, the small kaiju sniffed around for anything that might be considered edible. While he was working his way across the somewhat rocky shore, the water out in the center of the lagoon began to bubble, as though something large was coming up to the surface. Giving a low groan of fright, the winged creature slipped behind a stone, still peering out to watch as the towering figure of Godzilla began to come up with a rush of water.

The larger kaiju turned a careful eye to the shores, before turning out to the opening of the lagoon. There was something there that had caught his attention. Staring into the depths, he waited for a few tense minutes before his hand shot into the water, drawing out a large and very angry serpentine fish that had been making the entrance its home. Biting into the scaled skin, Godzilla growled as the creature's movement ceased. From his sanctuary behind the rocks, the smaller green watched the other eat, holding his own complaining stomach as though that would calm the noise.

Meanwhile on the ship, the tests on the various plants continued, and the scientist conducting them was noticing some very strange substances mixed in with the ocean water, and, by default, some of the algae.

"How're your samples coming, Quinn?" The query had come from a tall, bearded man standing at the doorway.

"Not as I had expected, Carl. There's something a bit odd about this water."

"Odd, how?"

"Some type of odd chemical mixture, like what you would see from a reptile's saliva. It's too diluted from the water to tell anything too specific, but they don't seem like they're from any normal reptile." Quinn explained, staring at the DNA information she had managed to glean from her tainted sample. "It carries traces of some kind of genetic mutation. Either way, it's not from any known species."

"I'm sure it's just a new kind of sea creature, Quinn. Nothing to be worried over."

"But there were stories about _something _living on this island. I heard them!" Pete, Quinn's nephew, piped up from behind the captain.

"They're just stories, Pete. Trust me, the island's about the same as any other you'd find in the area." Carl gently rebutted, a small grin on his face at the idea.

By the time Godzilla was finished with his meal, there wasn't much left on the beach. Just a pile of bones with a few straggly bits of meat here and there. The leftovers, however, were enough of an attraction for the hungry child that had waited impatiently all through the binge. Darting out from behind his rock, the small green kaiju bolted for the meat when Godzilla's back was turned. Biting a sizable [for him] remainder, he tore it clean off the bone in a hungry frenzy, chewing happily before realizing that the mild racket had drawn the attention of the much larger Godzilla.

Expecting nothing short of violent death, the smaller monster shook for a moment, putting up his hands in a defensive manner, before bolting for the woods, the eyes of the larger kaiju boring into his back.

Godzilla knew he was perfectly capable of getting rid of the little annoyance anytime he felt like it. One quick blast of fire, or perhaps a slow and steady burn from his laser eyes, and the little runt would have been history.

Still, for all of his uselessness, the little monster had intrigued the resident King of the Kaiju. It wasn't everyday something less than a third his size tried to stand up to him.

There was also the fact that this _child_ had done it not just once, but twice.

It was something to think on.

Later that night, another ship pulled up on the other side of the island. Throwing down the anchor, the people aboard quickly sent out a small boat to the land beyond, arriving on the shore just as light started to show on the horizon.

As for the island's inhabitants, they were mostly unaware of the new arrivals. The small kaiju, who had retreated deep into the jungle after his encounter with Godzilla, slept soundly on a full stomach. The shaded clearing he had found was a lot better than the site of the rock slide, more or less for a better quality of smell. It was also mostly dry from the midafternoon heat, which made it a prime sleeping spot.

Godzilla, meanwhile, had settled down into his den just beyond the lagoon, a steady stream of bubbles the only hint of his presence. Even while asleep, not a creature, of the sea or otherwise, dared to come near. To the reigning monster, all was right with the world.

Still, the group on the boat worked long and hard through the night, finding the mostly decomposed remains of the kaiju that had died in the landslide. However, while unusual, this wasn't what they were searching for. Checking around the area, one man spotted a series of footprints, both large and small, that led off into the thicker part of the jungle on the other side of the island. Once the news of the discovery spread, the men were pressed to continue the search. They reached the lagoon just as light started to show through the trees, though the pursuit of the larger creature tapered off when they realized that it had gone into the ocean. The smaller was much easier to track.

The small kaiju's eyes opened blearily as the light shone through the tree leaves. Yawning, the winged arms stretched in an effort to wake up. Suddenly, a strange scent caught his attention. Confused, the mini-monster looked around in an effort to find the source. It was exceptionally strong, so whatever was making the smell had to be somewhere nearby.

It didn't quite occur to him that whatever new element there was might be dangerous, not until a rustle sounded from overhead, and a net dropped onto the stunned little kaiju. Letting out a squawk of fright, he began to flail, which tapered off when a group of bipedal creatures dropped out of the trees, binding the net tighter around his body. It wasn't until they started to drag him off, using some kind of loud metal monster, that the child-kaiju began to understand what was going on. They were taking him away somewhere, and he somehow already knew he wouldn't like where they were going.

Instinctively, the young monster started to howl, struggling feebly as the men winched him up onto the truck bed. Despite the fact that the one who would have usually answered the call was dead and gone, there was someone else who could.

From his lair in the ocean, Godzilla heard the summons, getting up out of the water and following the sound to the clearing, which was by now empty. Still, if the tyre tracks and the footprints weren't a big enough indicators that something was wrong, the smell that clung to the place was enough to anger the Kaiju King.

It was the smell of humans, and the young kaiju. They had taken him.

The strange creatures, while outwardly harmless, were capable of much more than they seemed, as the child quickly learned. After the metal beast carried him out to the shore on the other side of the island, one of them poked him with something that made his arms, legs, and tail heavy, and his brain fuzzy. Despite the fact that he knew it would be a bad idea, he couldn't help the fact that his eyelids refused to stay open no matter what he did. What the strange beings were saying, while it didn't make much sense before, suddenly changed, sounding shriller and afraid. Then something else sounded out of the cacophony. A stronger, more familiar noise that rang out right before the whole room suddenly jerked, and sent the small monster reeling.

Given that he was already exhausted, the rough treatment didn't entirely help his case, and the next time the vessel jerked, the child was sent into unconsciousness.

When Godzilla had happened upon the boat, he had quite simply forgotten that the kid had had anything to do with this. He couldn't really follow a scent over the water. The people on board scattered, shouting their fear to the high heavens as his laser eyes tore a hole in the hull, and the wake caused by his movement churned up the water, making the boat sink faster. When some of the covered boxes and cargo fell overboard in the commotion, he didn't really pay it too much attention. That is, he didn't until one of the blankets fell off in the water, and he saw the steel barred cage it had been hiding.

The familiar green creature contained within the sinking cage immediately caught his eye. Leaning over, Godzilla came back up holding the metal container in one hand, the other working to 'unscrew' the top. From a sprawled position on the steel floor, the child looked up, squinting as though he was having trouble seeing, and blew a halfhearted smoke ring before his eyes closed, head drooping. With surprising care, the giant monster that had all but rent the ship in two pried down one side of the cage, using the opening to slide the limp body down into his palm.

Examining the other carefully, he was relieved [?] to see that the kid was only sleeping; he had even gripped his thumb when the larger kaiju had poked him to see if he would respond. While the gesture had been unexpected, somewhat annoying even, at first, Godzilla let it go with a gusty sigh.

Now, what to do with this?

Given that he would probably wind up tripping over the other kaiju anyway, it would probably be prudent to bring him back to the lagoon. At least there, he could keep an eye on him, a useful thing considering that for the few days he had known him, the child seemed to be adept at getting into trouble. For the sake of his sanity, and the young kaiju's continued existence, keeping him nearby seemed like a good option. It wasn't as though he could ignore a call that insistent anyway.

Glancing at the quietly slumbering mini-monster in his hand, Godzilla grinned quietly to himself, the position he had found himself in suddenly amusing.

Him, Godzilla, King of the Kaiju, looking after a little kid. What was the world coming to?

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><p>I'm sure you all know the drill, folks. Reviews at the door, and Godzilla uses the flames for target practice.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Reef Samples and Small Monste

Disclaimer: I don't own Godzilla, the Hanna Barbera version or otherwise.

Yeah, sorry, this has been long in coming.

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><p>Chapter 3: Reef Samples and Small Monsters<p>

"What're we doing today, Aunt Quinn?" Pete asked as he walked into his aunt's somewhat makeshift lab. The brunette smiled at her nephew's enthusiasm before speaking.

"Well, I was considering taking today to head closer to the island and study the coral reef to add to my environmental survey."

"Can I come?" The blonde inquired, the hopeful expression giving him the edge over his aunt. Besides, it wasn't as though there were anything to fear, given that she knew Pete had already taken diving lessons.

"Sure thing, Pete. Just be ready in an hour."

"You got it, Aunt Quinn!" The teenager hollered as he darted back out of the room to prepare. For all of her professional bravado, Pete's youthful curiosity never failed to cheer up Doctor Quinn Darien.

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><p>Meanwhile, on the island, the little green kaiju was just about finished with sleeping off his forced nap. Shifting lazily on the warm sand next to the lagoon, he sat up, rubbing the gunk out of his eyes before looking around. This couldn't be right. He had fallen asleep last night in a clearing a few hours walk from here. How had-?<p>

Suddenly, the child's memory came back. Those strange creatures, the net, the cage, the funny thing that made him feel all woozy. And, at the end of everything, the familiar roar and fuzzy dark green face right before he went back to sleep.

And then he was here.

Looking about, he couldn't find a reason for his suddenly being back at the lagoon. There wasn't another living thing in sight.

Granted, you probably couldn't count a small pile of weakly flopping fish as living. At least not for very long, and especially not when there was a hungry, oceangoing kaiju in the general area. Realizing precisely how famished he was, the mini-monster all but pounced on the mound of fish, quickly devouring about half before slowing up a bit. It could have simply been paranoia talking, but he felt as though he was being watched. Quietly turning back towards the entrance of the lagoon, noticing absently that the water was bubbling before remembering exactly what usually happened after this phenomenon. Still, it was too late to run, and he watched with a strange sense of awe as the intimidating figure of Godzilla rose above the frothing water. And realized with a jolt of trepidation that the giant's eyes were looking right at him.

His feet moved automatically, taking back a few steps before trying to make up for pretty much everything the other creature had on him, which turned into an odd display of swiping claws, growling, and puffs of smoke. True, to something about his own size or smaller, the sight would be intimidating, but to a creature that could easily pick the child up in one hand and have room for about four more, it was laughable that the mini-monster would bother.

He was gutsy, Godzilla would give him that. Childish, but gutsy.

The youngster was utterly bewildered when the larger kaiju used one finger to lightly tap his mouth closed, and the other hand quietly shoved the rest of the fish in his direction.

Before he could even question the offer, the other had gone back out through the opening of the lagoon and into the sea. Still, it had been enough to make the association.

_Parent._

Grinning lightly to himself, the child scarfed down a few more fish, deciding to save the rest for later.

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><p>Meanwhile, on the ship, the four aboard were preparing to take the vessel in a little closer to the reefs around the island. Doctor Darien and Brock were also prepping the scientific equipment. Pete was the only one that didn't really have anything to do, aside from loading up the hovercraft with the scuba gear. It wasn't as though it required a lot of thought, and the teenager found his mind wandering. His eyes caught something moving in the sky, just on the edge of his vision. Something small [though far larger than a bird] and green, which swooped in and out of the clouds.<p>

Curiously, Pete turned his head, trying to track the animal's movement through the clouds. Which suddenly became much easier when the creature abruptly plunged out of the sky and landed right in the middle of the coral reef he and the rest of the crew were going to study.

"Aunt Quinn!" The teenager hollered, though he realized in retrospect that it was a lost cause. The loud screech the thing made when it crashed had done more than enough.

"Quinn, what is that?" Captain Majors asked, eyes studying the green, winged creature as it tried to wriggle its way out of the reef, only to yelp as the material scratched against his hide.

"I'm…not sure." The scientist admitted, staring at the object of their curiosity with wide eyes. Her nephew, Pete, immediately jumped into action.

"C'mon, we gotta do something!"

"Like what? We can't get the boat out there without smashing into the rocks." First Mate Brock protested as the boy made his way over to their dingy.

"No, but maybe the hovercraft can get close enough." Quinn suggested, casting a speculative eye to her latest brainchild. The otherwise unremarkable vehicle, instead of using an ordinary motor, or a propulsion system of any kind, a mounted fan at the bottom was made powerful enough to lift the lightly-crafted frame. Given that it didn't sit in the water like most boats, it was the best choice.

The few selected for the mission were Quinn, Brock, and, more through his own eagerness, Pete. The latter had been more or less told to keep to the sidelines unless he was needed, something he wasn't entirely happy about. Still, it had been either that or stay behind, and the teenager had grudgingly made his decision.

Although, by the way the winged creature was thrashing about to free itself, it seemed as though any progress would be limited.

"It's okay, pal, we're gonna help you get out of there." Pete said in a calming tone, reaching out towards the flailing reptile.

"Pete, I really don't think that's going to work. Still, I think I've seen something like that before." Brock stated, feeling his jaw hit the floor of the boat when the creature began to calm. Calm being the looser way of putting it, given that the thrashing died down somewhat. It was still looking at them like one would when confronted with something that might take their head off. The sight was still heartening to Pete, who grinned reassuringly at his aunt.

"You think we can get him out of there?"

"Possibly. If we can keep it from moving too much. Coral can be rough on the skin."

"Alright!" The teenager replied, turning back to the captive monster with a look of curiosity. "You know, he kind of reminds me of these stories a kid from my block told me. Something about a giant monster…God-something?"

"You hear the strangest things, Pete." Brock commented, an amused grin on his face, before turning back to the task at hand. The creature wasn't wedged into the coral reef too tightly, but to get it out would definitely be difficult without some cooperation.

"Easy." Pete said, holding out his hands in a compliant gesture as Brock and Quinn worked to somehow chip away at the jagged edges without greatly damaging the coral, or frightening the jumpy reptile caught in it.

The aftermentioned was currently starting to fidget again, which only increased tenfold when Brock came too close.

"Calm down, Godzooky!" Pete blurted out before he could stop himself, much to the mild amusement of the adults.

"'Godzooky', Pete?" Captain Majors asked, eyebrow raising. Brock stifled a snicker, once he had stepped away from the now-still monster.

But, surprisingly to all, the creature seemed to like the name, 'grinning' and tilting his head in ready consideration. Noticing the acceptance, Quinn shrugged lightly, going back to work.

"Godzooky it is. Now let's get him out of here."

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><p>The child's squawking brought Godzilla to the surface to see what was so urgent. Coming up, the Kaiju King was almost forced to duck when the inexperienced flyer soared over his head and crashed nearly headfirst into the beach. Skidding lightly on his front, the sand stopped his spectacular wipeout. It also drew Godzilla's eyes to some fresh-looking scratches that ran along the sides of the other's body. Those definitely hadn't been there that morning.<p>

At the questioning growl, the smaller monster's head tilted in a moment of mild confusion before noticing the cuts, and immediately launched into a story to explain, embellished with growls, gestures, and a few vague and hurried parts that Godzilla had to puzzle out for himself. Most of it was rather easy to work through, he had been out flying, tried to head back, and managed to get himself stuck in between two of the growing-rocks that lay in patches around the island.

It wasn't until the smaller kaiju mentioned that humans had helped him out of his predicament that Godzilla had begun to pay closer attention to the story. Growling lightly, the mini-monster stopped chattering, looking up at the larger monster in curiosity.

Despite the fact that the humans might have helped, the island's giant resident was not at all happy with the idea that there were more trespassers nearby. Territorial, perhaps, but with good reason. Humans that had come onto his island before had the rather annoying tendency of leaving a rather massive trail of their…leavings. From the loud machines to odd burning-oozing-odd-smelling liquids that they used on different parts of the island, the smaller, more fragile life forms had somehow managed to muck up the island and the surrounding ocean more than any other creature. He had seen their vessel. The floating island humans called a boat had been near the island for some time now, the kaiju had only been partially sure of what to do about it. So far, they hadn't caused very much of a problem, not like the humans he had pretty much chased off the island.

And now the child was chittering away again, but this time, the subject matter was a bit ridiculous, even for Godzilla.

After all, what kind of a name was Godzooky?

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><p>Alright, I know this was originally the big make-or-break moment in the show, but I really couldn't see Godzilla becoming a kaiju bodyguard just because of that. And I'm pretty sure that the Big G could have gotten him out himself. I don't know, I just think there would need to be a bit more work to earn his trust. And, not to mention, it wasn't like the crew of the Calico would just pick up a monster without some form of persuasion. They kinda forget about him a few times in the series too.<p>

Personally, I felt like there should be more work here. If you have other ideas, the ballpark's open. I'm just hanging around.


	4. Chapter 4: A Study In Parenting

Disclaimer: Same as it's been for the past few chapters. Godzilla just hangs out in my headspace. Hanna Barbera was the one that made the cartoon.

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><p>Chapter 4: A Study in Parenting<p>

When Godzilla came up and saw his 'nephew' in his newest predicament, he had to wonder if the universe was trying to get back at him somehow for some past wrong.

The smaller, green kaiju was covered head to toe in what looked like a very pungent slime, or simply a greenish kind of mud. Godzooky, on the other hand, looked unbothered by the stench, and was happy as always to see him.

That being said, he was startled when Godzilla promptly picked him up, and plunked him down into the shallower section of the shoreline. When the child-monster surfaced, and noticed the ooze trailing off of his green frame, he seemed to get the message. Diving under, and coming back up mostly clean, the little monster chattered away, about this, that, and the other thing.

Yep, back to normal, or so it seemed.

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><p>"Pete, can you hand me the sample, please?" Quinn asked, buried up to her eyes in little vials containing ocean water. The boy's thoughts, however, were elsewhere, as he stared out of the porthole with a thoughtful glaze over his eyes. After a few moments of simply holding her hand up, waiting for the vial to be handed to her, Quinn looked up from her work.<p>

"Something on your mind, Pete?" She asked, punctuating her query with a tap on the shoulder. The boy, jumping, turned to his aunt with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, Aunt Quinn, just thinking about that creature we found in the reef. Did you find out anything from its scales?"

"Well, aside from the fact that it's unlike any other species of reptile, it's also somewhat similar to the diluted saliva I keep finding in the water near the island."

"Like maybe there are more like him?" Pete asked.

"More, perhaps, but not _exactly_ like him. From what I can tell, the species that I keep coming across is more amphibious than our find." Quinn explained, showing the two DNA series to Pete. The teenager tilted his head, not quite seeing the difference. The seasoned scientist chuckled a moment deciding to just explain it in layman's terms.

Or, more rather, she would have, if Brock hadn't come in right then and there with a newspaper in hand, smiling like he had just won the lottery.

"Hey, Doctor Darien! I remembered where I'd seen that creature before; I thought you might be interested." He finished by placing the newspaper down on the table, giving both a full view of the headline.

_**'UNNAMED BEAST TERRORIZES ISLAND PEOPLE'**_

"Honestly, the terrorizing bit's a little exaggerated, but the descriptions the people gave the reporters sound a lot like what we saw today. You think the two of them are related somehow?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if the two species shared a common ancestor. From what I'm reading here, that creature could go from about ten feet to one hundred and sixty, approximately."

At that, both Pete and Brock exchanged impressed glances. Such sizes were usually only heard of in comic books and fiction movies. Still, the article did hold one interesting, albeit blurry picture of some large creature walking back into the ocean. Pete tilted his head, noting that the supposed monster did resemble 'Godzooky' to some degree.

Perhaps they could be related in some way?

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><p>Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong and Godzilla knew he didn't like it. It had started when he had come up to check on the younger kaiju this morning, and the other wasn't there to greet him as he usually would have. Searching about, he found Godzooky curled up in the shade of a large tree, tired and uncharacteristically quiet. And far too warm to boot. The small scrapes that he had gotten from the reef were even more so, and painful, from the way the younger kaiju had yelped when he accidentally bumped them. Despite the fact that he was amphibious, and the lack of water was starting to get to him, Godzilla stayed on dry land. Godzooky, meanwhile, had all but dissolved into a feverish, shivering ball as the day wore on, huddled up next to the larger monster.<p>

At around midday, the sickened child woke up, feeling a noticeable dryness in the back of his throat. Too weak to really move, he gave a small bleat for attention, which the elder kaiju responded to sluggishly, worn down from his prolonged exposure to the sun. Through a few frail gestures, Godzooky managed to get his point across; he needed water. Lifting the youngling up, Godzilla carried him back to the lagoon. After drinking his fill of water, [a bit much, if the King of the Kaiju was any judge] the small monster slid back into an uneasy sleep, Godzilla keeping a firm vigil, part of his body resting in the lagoon itself to ease the dryness settling into his scales.

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><p>"You'd like to visit the island?" Captain Majors asked, eyebrow raising at the somewhat unusual request. Quinn, for her part, looked unabashed at the unspoken refusal. After what they had seen that day, it was to be expected. There could be more creatures like that one, and perhaps of larger size. It wasn't something the captain felt comfortable with risking, even for the pursuit of science. Still, Quinn at least felt it was fair to meet him halfway.<p>

"We won't go too far in, but I would at least like to survey the coastline."

"Hmm, alright, but I'd prefer we go tomorrow, in the morning."

Fair enough, Quinn nodded her consent.

"Thank you, Carl."

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><p>The night was something of a relief for Godzilla, given that he didn't dry out as rapidly as he did during the day. However, the reason for his prolonged absence from the sea hadn't really improved over the hours. If anything, Godzooky had deteriorated over the course of the afternoon. Despite the fact that he had an inkling over what was causing this, Godzilla could not figure out why. His wounds had never pained him this badly. Then again, his memories of childhood were a bit hazed. Maybe this was normal?<p>

Still, something in him rebutted the idea. The idea that the younger kaiju was sick seemed more plausible than anything.

Of course, that didn't mean he was satisfied with the answer.

Godzooky whined in his sleep, the sound cutting through the ordinary tranquility of the night like a steak knife through jello. Leaning over the shivering huddle, Godzilla placed his hand within easy reach, only partially surprised now when the comparatively smaller fingers snatched it up. He was learning to expect that, tolerate it, even.

It still didn't help the thought that it wouldn't do any good.

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><p>Yeah, I figured this would be a better way to break the ice. Also, just about anything else I could see Godzilla being able to deal with enough that the Calico crew really wasn't needed. That, or it was just a matter of what was more of a plausible reason.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5: Trusting and Common Ground

A/N: Yeah, I got no excuses folks, and I'm sorry for everyone who's been asking for more from this story. Hopefully it should just be two more, maybe three chapters, and an epilogue. After which I may have other things planned for fanfiction in this fandom, but with all of the lovely and interesting things that may or may not be happening for me this year I don't know when I'll have the time for the extra stuff. Trust me though, this will not be going unfinished if I can help it, and I thank you all for sticking with me on this. Enjoy this chapter, and please, please let me know if there's anything wrong in terms of grammar, spelling, and all that good stuff. Or if you just really like something then let me know, I'll be glad to hear that too.

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><p>Chapter 5: Trusting And Common Ground<p>

When Godzilla had dozed off that night, he had tried to be doubly sure that nothing would sneak up on the pair. With their security fragile, and one of them exposed, the new scent caught the semi-conscious kaiju's attention nary a minute after it first came. In response, the dark green head, armed with a mouthful of teeth, snapped up to deal with the threat while one arm curled protectively around Godzooky.

If anyone tried to get through, they would be met with one very angry King of the Kaiju, as the people that were standing just at the treeline were finding out.

"Quinn, what do you think that is?" Carl asked, for the second time in his life feeling totally out of his element. The rest of the party was similarly stunned, until Pete noticed a familiar blur of light green partially hidden by the larger monster's arm.

"…Godzooky?" He squeaked out, catching everyone, even the snarling kaiju himself, by surprise. Partially out of habit, the aftermentioned mini-monster tried to at least sit up, but was too sick to do more than lift his head. The sight of the once animated creature seemed to be enough to put a thorn through Pete's mood, and the boy immediately turned to his aunt.

"Can we help him, Aunt Quinn?"

"Possibly, though I do not think we can do much good from here."

"And I don't think big and green is going to let us get close." Brock remarked, tense and ready to bolt for the somewhat dubious cover of the forest at a moment's notice.

Pete looked up at the adults pleadingly as he tried to keep his eye on Godzooky. Noticing his gaze, Godzilla started to shift, blocking the younger kaiju from view as he growled low and threatening in the back of his throat, something that Darien Quinn, a seasoned field biologist noted with no small amount of trepidation.

"It probably wouldn't be a good idea to approach them so soon. That one's already on edge. Coming any closer might be disastrous."

"I second that emotion." Brock muttered, tensing as he felt more than saw the eyes of the much larger being on him and measuring his every move.

"Should we even be here?" Carl questioned as he kept the much larger beast directly in his line of view, for all the good it would do if the great reptile decided to charge.

"It might be a good idea to move away from the lagoon. We are already too close as it is. He most likely won't go very far with the younger one so ill." Her own opinion came with years of fieldwork and experience with other specimens, even if they weren't this large or formidable. However, field experience didn't come with instructions on how to deal with a preteen that had a nurturing attachment with one of the local wildlife.

"We will be helping him though, right Aunt Quinn?"

"Yes, Pete, we will. It probably wouldn't help us though if his parent grows too uneasy for us to be in the area." The biologist replied, soothing her nephew's fears. Yet she wasn't entirely certain of how to go about getting a sample of the infection itself so that they would have something to work from. After all, while they did have medicines to help deal with such illnesses on the Calico, it wouldn't do much good if they weren't sure what to administer.

"Let's head back to the Calico for now, we need to form a plan."

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><p>A few hours later saw the ship in a state of tense energy and activity, as Darien Quinn attempted to deduce the cause of the infection. Their lack of a sample was a definite problem, but hopefully she could have the next best thing.<p>

"Here you go, Doctor Darien. This was all we could find." Brock announced as he came into the lab, gently putting a sample bag on the lab table filled carefully with coral, the kind that the mini-monster had been stuck in when they found him.

"Thank you, Brock." She replied absently, already scooping up the sample and heading towards the different beeping machines and instruments and getting started on her work.

Sighing lightly, the assistant noticed Captain Majors standing just behind the doorframe, edging over so they could hold a conversation without disturbing Doctor Darien.

"Do you think this is a wise idea, Captain?"

"To be honest, no." The answer was hesitant, though Brock needn't have worried as the seaman agreed wholeheartedly.

"I know what you mean. It would probably be a good idea if we got as far away from this place as possible."

Unfortunately for the two men, a certain preteen had been privy to the conversation, having been in the process of coming down the hall as they were talking. Despite his closeness and inability not to hear the topic of conversation, Pete feigned ignorance.

"Hi Captain Majors! Hey Brock! What're you guys talking about?"

Despite the boy's 'innocence', it was easy for Captain Majors to figure that he had been present for much more than he was pretending to be.

"How much did you hear, Pete?"

"Not that much." The boy partially confessed, squirming a bit at the direct question. Despite his initial discomfort, he tried to make up for the unease by pleading his point more directly. "I still think we should help Godzooky. We already did by helping him out of the reef and if we just…let him die now….why help to begin with if we're not going to finish the job?"

The main bulk of his argument came in a rushed outburst at the end, but it did get the attention of Quinn Darien from her work.

"What's going on?"

A brief stretch of silence traveled through the group before Captain Majors stepped up to the task of filling Quinn in on their conversation.

"Quinn, do you think we should be doing this?"

"We have to, Aunt Quinn! We already saved him once, we can't let him down now!" Pete tried, though his efforts only seemed to glean a slightly sour look and it was only after that he realized that perhaps he should have waited to make his point. "Sorry…"

"It's fine, Pete, though you do have a point, Carl. The bigger of the pair is obviously uncomfortable with our presence, and to even have a hope of working more directly with Godzooky…" Doctor Darien trailed off in her thoughts, though Brock had already caught where her mind was wandering, and chose that moment to interject.

"We'll need a distraction of some kind, just long enough to administer an antibiotic."

"We'd also need to keep the Calico well away from the excitement, that thing could easily cause damage."

"Good point." Doctor Darien murmured as she considered this bit of thought.

"We could try using the hovercraft to create a distraction." Pete hesitantly interjected, more wary about his role in this discussion then he had been earlier. However, his hesitation was unfounded, as Doctor Darien brightened a bit at the idea.

"How about it, Carl?"

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><p>Godzilla felt the pounding of the sun dry out his scales as the mid-noon sun hung in the air overhead. Growling irritably, he briefly slid further back into the lagoon, though putting his forearm within reach of Godzooky the moment the smaller monster fussed. This heat couldn't be good for the child either; he seemed to have grown even warmer since the sun had reached its zenith. Gently controlling his strength, Godzilla slipped his fingers under the prone reptilian form, making sure not to bump the sores. Even with the surprising show of carefulness from the large creature, Godzooky still whined a bit in his semiconscious state. The wasted effort was enough to make Godzilla's unoccupied paw gnash at the ground in frustration. The larger kaiju had fought monsters, powerful forces of nature that had tried to claim his territory as theirs. He was the type of creature who had withstood the tests of both nature and time, growing into a far more powerful force himself, something that others knew to think before reckoning with. And if they didn't know, then they learned fast.<p>

This was something beyond even his capabilities. There was no enemy to directly fight, nothing to break, and no problem that could be put in its place by his might.

Simply put, it was the strength of the younger kaiju that would be needed, and that seemed to be in an ever-dwindling supply at the moment.

But still there was nothing that the elder kaiju could do, and the next few minutes passed in tense silence, broken only by the somewhat shallow breathing of Godzooky.

And suddenly the quiet was entirely shattered by a far-off thrum, coming closer to the lagoon. Though his memories of the exact inanities of humanity were a touch dim, Godzilla did recognize the sound when he heard it; a machine. Judging from the way the sound was traveling it was one of their vehicles. And it was trespassing on his territory.

Despite his initial rage at the infraction, Godzilla was loathe to simply leave to deal with the intruders. Godzooky was barely conscious as it was and could hardly be relied on to defend himself. Gently, Godzilla scooped up the mini-monster in a clawed paw, quietly and carefully placing him in the shade of some trees and not as immediately visible. Just as Godzilla finished setting the smaller body down, the human vehicle passed across the opening of the lagoon, though it did not continue onward. Instead, Godzilla could hear the drone of the motor go only a small ways further ahead before turning around to circle and pass by the opening again, this time closer. Where they specifically looking for the lagoon?

All the more of a reason to drive them away then. And if he did this quickly he could be back before Godzooky even realized he was gone. Moving with a speed that would have been more expected from a creature half of his size, Godzilla returned to the lagoon, sinking under the water as he moved toward his quarry.

A few minutes passed before a certain pair of humans emerged from the greenery ringing the lagoon, briefly hesitating in the wake of the vengeful titan that had just left before hurrying on to do what they came for.


End file.
